MLB Franchise Notes: White Sox See "Strong" Season-Tix Renewals

White Sox Banking On Hyped Starting Rotation To Entice Fans To Buy Tickets This Season

White Sox VP & CMO Brooks Boyer said that despite a “slight increase in prices, season-ticket renewals are ‘strong’ and projections are ahead of what the Sox anticipated at this point.” In Chicago, Mark Gonzales noted the White Sox are “banking that their hyped starting rotation will entice more consumers, particularly among those interested in purchasing partial season plans and group plans.” Boyer: “Our philosophy has been to have small (price) increases, rather than monumental jumps. It looks pretty similar to last year.” Boyer “wouldn’t reveal last year’s ticket base, which based on full season-ticket equivalents was believed to be around 17,500” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/20).

FLIPPING THE BIRD: The Orioles are increasing game-day ticket prices this season, and in Baltimore, Kevin Cowherd writes, "If your team stinks and you're having trouble attracting fans, jacking up ticket prices is generally not a good PR move." The Orioles' "spin on the new game-day ticket pricing is that it rewards fans who buy tickets in advance." However, it leaves a "bad taste in the mouths of fans who don't buy early." And if the team's attendance numbers "aren't great -- say a few thousand on a good night -- why do anything to tick them off when you're already hemorrhaging fans?" (Baltimore SUN, 1/21).

NEEDING TO BRIDGE THE GAP: YAHOO SPORTS’ Jeff Passan wrote the disconnect between the Indians and their fans has “spread from fissure to full-fledged canyon, and this offseason is doing nothing to heal a relationship gone rocky.” Passan: “Equal parts of the blame go to Indians ownership and management. The Dolan family runs the team on a tight budget. It doesn’t spend much in the draft. Not quite the flowerbed for prosperity” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/18).